Oman and Kuwait are being lined up as co-hosts alongside Qatar for 2022 tournament, which could feature 48 teams.
It is becoming increasingly likely that the 2022 World Cup will contain 48 teams, which would mean the need for Qatar to seek a neighboring country to help host the tournament.
FIFA members have already agreed to expand the global tournament to 48 teams from 2026, but president Gianni Infantino wants to bring the change forward to 2022.
The Council of world football's governing body has now agreed to look at the possibility of increasing the size of the next World Cup to 48 sides through the addition of one more host.
I know the next World Cup [in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026] is going to be a joint World Cup, but you've got to think about logistical aspects of it, for journalists as well as for fans, the amount they're going to have to travel, and the number of games.
Clearly, we love the World Cup, but I was in Russia last year for five weeks, and there wasn't a day that I wasn't at a game up until the knockout rounds. When one game finished, another one started, so catching up was mental.
Increasing it to 48 teams would logistically be tough, but clearly, this is about money. Drumming up interest in other countries, but it's about making more money, and that's what FIFA are prioritizing here.